Shoe stiffener and method of making the same



Dec. ll, 1934. A 5 P LOVELL SHOE STIFFENER AND METHOD oF MAKING THE SAME Filed June 26, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet l 6- Y Wg-7 INVENTOR.- Sa/zZqyPla well Dec. l1, 1934. s. P. LovELL SHOE STIFFENERVAND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed June 26, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENToR.

Dec, 1l, 1934. s P, LOVELL 1,983,622Y

SHOE STIFFENER AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME i Filed June 26, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 2A ff .,zf- A /27 Patented Dec.l 1 l, v `1934 NITED STATES.

PATENT oFFicE SHOE STIFFENER AND IMETHOD 0F MAKING THE SAME Stanley P; Lovell, Newton, Mass., assigner to L 4Arden Box Toe Company, Watertown, 'Mass.,

a corporation of Massachusetts Applicaties June zo, 193i, serial No. 541,170 t 1s claims. (o1. iz--usi v s lasted with the maximum of speed and the miniio mum of those difiiculties generally incident in factory operation.

A great many types of toes of this class have Ybeen heretofore devised. In` the development of the art certain diillculties have been encountered. From the advantages and disadvantages of the prior art have come certain desiderata to the atta'nment of which my present invention is directed. One very desirable factor is that the blanks shall be in condition for theoperator to use without the delay of preparation or pre- 26 liminary softening stepv prior to assemblyand pulling. Another is that the toe blanks be available in such prepared state and in readily handied condition, particularly as to freedoxnv from adhesion. A third highly 'desirable but heretofore unattained feature is that a toe stiflener of this type should have when in the shoe a sumcient porosity to provide ventilation for the foot both for the reduction of temperature and for 30 the elimination or moisture, and the like due to the presence of the foot in the shoe. Concurrent Gli with this third feature and also not hitherto 4.0 have' heretofore involved relative inconsistencies which prevented their attainment in any oney construction. I have by my present invention produced a new type of toe blank and box structure by which these attributes are attained and 45 also various other advantages, all as will appear in the description which follows:

According to' my present invention I employ a celluloid stiiIcning medium which has all the r advantages, of celluloid without involving the difculties previously experienced in its use. Ihese dimculties have resided either in the necessity of partially dissolving thea celluoidimmediately v prior to use, or, if the celluloid was initially softened, in the sticking of the toe blanks to each 5"' other in course ofmanufacture 0r priori 'BUIO 85 llgmcident W-Pmms Wer r her lasting An additional dimculty in the use of celluloid in box toes has been due to the precipitation of the celluloid, especially in humid weather. 'I'he relatively high volatility. and large amount of the solvent content of celluloid box toes softened for 5 lasting causes rapid evaporation and the consequent cooling of the surrounding air so that some of its moisture content has been condensed and deposited as dew on the surface of the material.

, This precipitated moisture, in its turn, threw the 1f) celluloid out of solution and caused it to precipitate. 'I'he result was a very high variation in the product with frequent soft spots and with a general weakening of the-bridge effect of the stiflener in the shoe. 'I'.'he precipitation of the 15 celluloid also correspondingly lessened its ,adhesive property;

In my preferred type of boxl toe, due to the woven nature of the box toe structure, and the amount of stiiening agent used, all voids are not filled, the vacant, unsaturated spaces affording air channels therethrough. When incorporated in a shoe such a stiftener allows ventilation oi the'toe portion of the shoe and prevents it from becoming the depository of accumulated perspiration, which would otherwise be pocketed in the forepart of the shoe causing malodor, footburn andv cracky innersoles. A stiiener of my preferred type also adheres to the lining and doubler offthe shoe` upon lasting, although the blanks as preparedfor use in all except turn shoes are not mutually adherent when in packed relation. v

My presentinvention provides for the avoidance of the dimculties hereinbefore mentioned by providing s.V celluloid box toe blank ready prepared f or use and yet easily handled by the operator without any retardation of his normal speed. Toe blanks may be prepared in accordance with my invention in a variety of forms and 40 by somewhat varied treatment, but for the purposes o! my present invention I willshow and describe only certain typical forms in themselves well adapted to use, and will also indicate certain variations or adaptations which may be used to meet special requirements.

I call attention to one distinctive characteristic of the blanks prepared for shoes other than turn as I believe that iii-represents a conceptentirely new in this art. This consists in the toe blank 50 havingnninterior .impregnation of'plastic in a fluent colloidal state, the blank having a surface through which this interior plastic may penetrate by exudation or eruptionv under such presoperations. While the plastic may penetrate through the surfaces ofthe stiffener. yet the relative amount of this plastic to the relatively fixed 4fibrous content of the stiffener is so smail that squeezing out or extrusion of the plastic in alignment with the stiilener surfaces about the edges of the stifener underthe wiping pressure of the bed wipers in lasting does not take place. Formerly, in the manufacture of shoes which were largely of the welt type these lateral exudations subsequent to the wiping process or Voperation were of relatively minor importance, since the surplus box toe upper and lining was trimmed oil close to the innersole, and of course the extruded .surplus was trimmed oil therewith. With the advent of cement shoes, that is, shoes in which the upper and sole are amxed by anadhesive rather than by stitching, the extrusion' of box toe compound from the box toe blank became of vital importance. In this latter type of shoe the wiping or bedding operation does not terminate atV the inseam flange or shoulder, there being no flange or shoulder, the upper and box toe being laid over the at insole and wiped directly in full contactV with the insole. -Where this is done any extrusion from the box toe forms a colloidal compound at the margin of the combined box toe and upper, this compound acting to greatly embarrass the subsequent operations. Specifically, if latex or rubber sap is used to stick down the lasted-in upper to the insole, the

colloidal compound will serve to coagulate thelatex, and after a few shoes are operated the latex dispensing medium itself is coagulated.l

of my invention wherein the center or core body ofl the stiener consists of two fabric laminas each coated on its inner face with a plastic impregnant. and showing the laminvbefore they are pressed together.

l Figure 2 is a diagram of such center or core showing on an exaggerated scale the porous nature of the uncovered core body.

Figure 3 is a sectional view showing the core body lamina: adhered together.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic sectional view showing the step of immersing such core body in a solvent for the plastic impregnant.

Figure 5 Ishows in section a pair of cover lamina: which are adapted to be ilxed to the outer faces of the/core body to form therewith the ilnished stiener unit, the inner faces of such cover lamime being individually coated withan adherent coating.

Figure 8 is a sectional view showing such cover .lamine adhered to the core body and particularly illustrating the substantially non-adhesive character of the exterior surfaces of the stiiener unit.

Figure 'I is a perspective view of the ilnished stiffener unit with portions turned back to expo v the coated and uncoated surfaces.

Figure 8 is a sectional view showing a modification wherein the core.'body is formed -of a single lamina, thel exterior` faces of which are' coated with a plasticized impregnant and covered bya pair of internally coated cover lamin.

j i Figures 9 and 10 are views showing one method of arranging a predetermined count of stiifener units in a substantially vapor-proof envelope.

Figures 11 and 12 show such envelopes packed in a round container, Fig. 11 being'a section on the line 1l-`-11, of Fig. 12, and Fig. l2 being a section on the line 12-.12 oi' Figure 11. l

Figlne 13 shows in perspective a modified, form of container; and

Figure 14 shows a. modification in the arrangement of the stiifener units in the vapor-proof envelope. 1

Figure 15 is a plan of a separator layer prepared to receive. a treated stiiener, particularly suitable for use in a turn shoe, and prior to packaging. i

Figure 16 is a plan view-showing the treated stiiener in place on the separator layer.

Figure 17 shows in perspective a stack of stiffeners with interposed separator layers, showing in dotted lines the manner in which the stiieners can be removed successively from the stack for -igures` 18 and 19 are sections through a stiflener and separator layer showing successive stages in the removal of the stifi'ener from the separator layer.

In its simplest form which I now deem practicable, I take a blank of fabric as A in Figure 8, or preferably plural blanks 1 and 2 (Fig. 1) in order to gain the advantage of crossed fibre-trend and of ultimate marginal taper t`o get the desired I thin edge for the box. Such blanks independently or together I impregnate with my plastic, A

indicated generally at 3. This plastic preferably is an ester of cellulose. In practice I prefer to die the blanks from a sheet impregnated or coated with the stiifening agent. The blanks to form the core and containing the stiiening agent in unplasticized condition are pressed together as shown in Figure 3 and then dipped in a suitable solvent S as shown in Figure 4. The ratio of coating plastic to fibrous material is so proportioned that the amount of solvent retained by the the edges of the stiiener, the fibers forming the g boundaries of the voids acting as dams to prevent any such action, The ratio of solvent to stiilening agentI and base material retained by the blank under such conditions is such also that adhesion between adjacent contacting superposed blanks, after the agent has been completely acted on by the solvent and is in colloidal condition, is-insuilicient to prevent ready manual separation of the blanks. The solvent into which the blanks are dipped is preferably a non-aqueous volatile solvent which is so constituted that the time of rigidifying when the stiiener is exposed to the air may be predetermined within reasonably close limits to conform to the requirements of the particular. shoe'factory in which the shoes are to be made. l' Where ester of cellulose is used as the stiifening agent the particular solvents which may be employed may vary considerably. Certain examples of such solvents are denatured alcohol, acetone, glycol ester derivatives such as diethylene,

, Lacasse alcohol and acetone are solvents which cause a' very short time ofsetting, while the glycol ester derivatives are slow in their action. The ethyl acetate is fast, but leaves an odor which insomeJ cases may be objectionable. By properly combining these or other solvents, the time of setting of th stiffening agent may be quite accurately predetermined from a few minutes to several hours.

Where the center or core body consists of a pair of laminas, as 1 and 2, in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the internal faces of the lamina: are coated with the cellulose ester 3 'and afterwards vplasticized by immersion in the solvent S. Where such center or core body is a single lamina, as A in Fig.

8, the outer faces of such lamina are coated with the cellulose ester 3 and afterwards plasticized by immersion in the solvent.

xWith either form, before solvent treatment, the cellulose ester is indiflerently entrained between the fllamentary contacts of the lamina or laminas without substantially blocking the interstitial porosity of the blank body, This l have endeavored to show diagrammatically and on exaggerated scale in Fig. 2.

After impregnation, the center or core body is enclosed within a pair of cover blanks e and 5vof slightly larger size and of like material which are impregnated with the cellulose ester on their -inner faces, as indicated at 6 (Fig. 5). Actually I prefer to blank out these skin or cover pieces from sheet material. I then assemble the m tiply plastic toe blank body or core with a pair of hese external blanks disposed with the cellulosic material 6 innermost (Fig. 6). In pressing these together, the solvent of thelnternal plastic 3 attacks the inner face of the unplasticized cellulose coating c of the outer members and bonds them together.

The box toe blanks are now ready for packing, but in order that they may be ready for use in shoemaking it is necessary that they be sealed against evaporation. I preferably pack my blanks first in tight packs, as for example, in so-called glassine envelopes E placing in each envelope a l standard number of toe blanks, as for example, suihcient for one case of shoes. .In assembling these in envelopes the toe blanks are preferably arranged in staggered alternate sequence, as shown either in Figs. 9 or 14, which represent alternative arrangements of blanks. When the envelope is'opened the blanks will be in a pomtion.

where they can be rapidly picked up by the operator and assembled into the shoes. I preferably pack a plurality of these envelope packs in a can C, Figs. 11 and 12. or a box B,'1"lg. 13, which is sealed tight for shipment and `which can be again closed if all of the envelope' packs are not used at once. 'I'he stieners when u provide a blank having a. solvent sustained plastic winter-lor and non-adhesive extericrwhich how-v ever becomes adhesive upon an exuding pressure which the blank encounters in the usualvoperation of lasting, and that this exuding pressure r`displaces the .solvent softened yplastic from the interior of the blank so that it will be uniformly fused to adjacent shoe parts.v Prior-to being subjected to such exuding pressure, the interlaminal cohesive solvent containing filling is indiiferen'tly entrained between lthe illamentary contacts of the fabric lamin. Moreover, my invention requires no plasticizing agent to be kept inthe shoefactory whatever, as the box toe blank contains'within the very heart of itself. due to the nature of `its assembly, and packing a continued and indefinite retained plasticity.

'Ihe blanks may be cut with the weave running in any desired direction and where vadditional strength is desired the weave of the different blanks may be arranged in different directions. It will also be understood that felt might be substituted for fabric, the term fabric being merely suggestive of preferred material in which the presence of the weave is of ,certain advantage. `Felt fabric or other material may be variously combined, as for example, a felt It will also v be understood that any number of these pieces. may be built up to make a toe blank of required center with fabric outer pieces.

thickness. f

Inasmuch as my shoe stiiIener is inherently both solvent-plastic and therm`o-plastic it also oiiers certain advantages over existing stiieners insofar as lasting is concerned. Shoes heretofore have been lasted by one of two methods;

either a thermoplastic box toe and/or counter was used in which case the shoe is subjected to heat at both pulling and bedding operations, or, alternatively a solvent-softened'boxtoe and/or counter was used in which case the shoe was perforce lasted before the solvent? had dissipated -many factories the employees have been forced to work ona staggered shirt, thepullers preced ing the bed operators by hours, the bed operators working hours after the pullers have left. Particularly has this been bothersome on week ends `and holidays.

A. shoe stifiener constructed in accordance with this invention is inherently both solvent-plastic `and thermo-plastic so that it avoids the. disadvantages of both methods. It may be primarily lasted or pulled by virtue of its solvent plasticity and'upon becoming stii and tinny, because of evaporation of solvent, it may bev secondarily lasted or beddedwhen softened by heat by virtue of its thermoplasticity.

In Figures 15 to 19 is illustrated a, stiil'ener constructed particularly suitable for use in connection with turn shoes, an external face of each stifrener being in tacky'xcondition when it is asf sembled in the shoe so that it may adhere rmly to the adjacentshoe part or parts so as to permit turning of the shoe after lasting without displacing thestiener. This stiilener is made of coated layers as previously described, but instead of the outer layer or layers being` arranged with their coafd'faces turned inwardly one or both are reversed in position so that the coated surface is presented outwardly. y

l The stiifeners after treatment with thesolventv are then, by one method, stacked between protective separator layers to which they do not strongly adhere and the separator layers are so formed as to facilitate the placing of the stiifeners in assembled relation in shoes.

Referring to Figures 15 to 19, 11 indicates a.

shoe stiffener, such for example as a box toe, which is composed of one or more plies of fabric as 12 and 13 which are coated on one or both faces (preferably both) vwith a suitable solvent-- softened stiiening agent, such, forv example, as an ester of cellulose af: at le. 'I'his coating is preferably applied to the fabric before it is died out into stiiener blanks, and where two lor more plies are employed, one at least of these plies is preferably somewhat larger than the others in order to form a marginal extension 15, particularly along the rear edge of the toe stiiener to present a thin edge, thus eliminating the necessity of i skiving the completed stiifener to produce this When a blank is dipped the solvent is immediately absorbed by the fabric base and 'attacks the stiifening agent, which, after it has been acted l v on for a sufficient length of time, is softened to a.

tacky condition. After a stin'ener has been thus dipped` and laid on a separator sheet 16, another separator sheet is laid thereon and another stili'- ener is dipped and' assembled on the second separator'sheet, thisprocess being carried on until a stack of alternate stiifeners and separator sheets has-been made to the desired number of stiifeners. The stack is then placed in a suitable container which be hermetically sealed to avoid the evaporation of solvent and to permit the stiifening agent to soften-and reach its desired colloidal or "mulled condition.

Whenitisdesiredtousethestiffenersthe container is opened and the stiileners are pulled away one'fafter another from their separate layers and placed in position in the shoes with the tacky face or faces against the desired shoe part or parts to which they immediately adhere. In order to shown in Figure 19 and in dotted lines in Figure facilitatethe removal of the individual stiifeners from the separatorsheets and their assembly in the shoes wthout danger of injuring the tacky surface or soiling the fingers or shoe parts with the tacky material, each of the separator sheets may be provided with a portion such as 26, deiine'd by weakened portions or partial cuts as at 27 from the remainder of the sheet 'so that the shoe operative can fold one part of the weakened portion over the edge of the stiffener, as shown -in Figure 18, thus to form with the remainder of the portion 26 a non-sticky finger hold at the stiffener edge'. lThis .may be grasped vbetweenthe opferators fingers and by pulling the portion 26 mayl be entirely detached from the separator sheet, as

17, whereupon the stiifener may be readily peeled off from the separator sheet and applied to the shoe in proper position without the fingers touching any portion of the tacky surface and without any contact between this surface with other parts of the shoe or with the operators clothing. Where the portion 26 is applied 'to the margin of the stiifener which is lasted in during the lasting operation, no difficulty is experienced by reason of the fact that this portion of the stiifener will not adhere to the shoe. Hence it is quite unnecessary to remove the portion 26 from the stiEener.

The external coating of stiffening agent is acted on by the solvent while in contact with the separator'layer and this layer has the effect to cause the surface coating when in softened condition to be of a jelly like consistency which condition adapts the stiifener admirably for immediate application to a shoe.

This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 234,231, filed November 18, 1927, for Shoe stiifeners and art of producing the same. The specific form of this invention disclosed in Figures 15 to 19 is not claimed herein as it forms the subject matter of my Patent No. 1,843,687

granted February 2, 1932, for Shoe stiifeners.

From the foregoing description of certain .em-

bodiments of this invention it should be evident to those skilled in the art that various other modifications and changes might be made without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. .The method of making stiifeners for shoe parts,- which consists in assembling' a solvent plasticizable center or core body together with solvent,

in covering the same with integuments of unplasticized material, and in compressing the assembly to cause the solvent of the vsolvent-plasticized 'core to attack the unplasticized coverings and bond the assembly together as a unit stitener. l

2. A stinener blankhaving an interior fibrous portion impregnated with fluent plastic material, and a-.porous unimpregnated surface through which uent plastic material may exude fromsaid interior portion under lasting pressure and adhesively secure lsaid blank to .adjacent lshoe v parts. said plastic material being ins'uillcient in U amount to completely fill the voids of the blank,

whereby the lasted blank has sufficient porosity to permit ythe e of air and moisture there'- .through Liibrous foundation containing an unplasticized stiifening agent with a plasticizer of said agent. covering the treated foundation with fibrous material freefrom said plasticizer, and vthen sealing the stiifener against evaporation of said plasticizer.

5; 'Ihe method 4of making shoe stiffeners conditioned for lasting, which comprises treating with a solvent stiii'ener blanks carrying a solvent softened stiifening agent in unsoftened condition,

the treated blanks. and sealing'the stiiiener thus formed yagainst Solvent. t.,

6. A shoe stiffener blank conditioned for assembly in a shoe, which comprises outer layers of porous fabric enclosing woven fibrousV fabric conpressure.

7. A shoe stiener blank conditioned for assembly in a shoe, which comprises outer layers of porous fabric enclosing woven brous fabric containing a plasticized stiii'ening'agent uniformly distributed throughout, said plasticizedl agent being suicient in quantity and fluidity to be exuded'through said outer layer under lasting pressure and insufficient in amount to render the stiiener non-porous after evaporation of the plasticizing solvent.

8. A lasted shoe stiifener comprising a porous fibrous body having a stiiening agent distributed therethrough, said agent coatingthe bers Without substantially blocking the interstitial porosity of the stiffener.

9. A lasted shoe stiffener comprising a porous fibrous base containing a solvent-softened stiiening agent coating the bers thereof but insufcient in amount to completely fill the voids of said base whereby the stiiener has suicient porosity to permit the passage of air and moisture therethrough.

10. The method of making shoe stiieners which comprises assembling al fibrous center or core body containing a solvent-softened stiening agent and with sufcient solvent entrained by the iibers of said body to completely plasticize said agent, and covering the same with lbrous layers -free from solvent.

11. The method of making shoe stiffeners which comprises assembling a fibrous center or corev body containinga solvent-softened lstiftening agent and with sufllcient solvent entrained by the fibers of said body to plasticize said agent, and covering the same withbrous layers free from solvent but carrying said agent.

12. 'Ihe method of making shoe stiieners which comprises assembling a brous center or core body containing a solvent plasticizable stiff- -ening agent and solvent therefor, and covering the same with solvent free layers carrying such agent in unplasticized condition.

13. 'I'he method of making shoe stiffeners which comprises assembling on covering blanks free from solvent stiiiener blanks out from brous sheet material containing a solvent softened stiening agent while such stiffener blanks'contain suiiicient solvent entrained by the bers-to completely plasticize said agent.

14. The method of making shoe stiffeners which comprises assembling on covering blanks l free from vsolvent stifener blanks cut from fibrous sheet material containing a solvent softened stift'- ening agent while such stiiener blanks contain suilicient solvent entrained by the bers to completely plasticize said agent, and then sealing the assemblies against evaporation of said solvent.

15. Al shoe stiiiener comprising brous material and a plasticizable stiffening agent, the proportion of stiening agent relative to the xed bers of the stiifenerbeing suillciently small to prevent lextrusion of said agent at the edge of the stiiener from wiping lasting pressure.

.16. A shoe stiiener comprising ibrous material and a solvent plasticizable stiienng agent, the proportion o! stiiening agent relative to the xed fibers of the stiiener being sumciently small to'prevent extrusion of said agent at the edge of the stiffener from wiping lasting pressure.

STANLEY P. LOVELL.. 

